Abdulsalam: we welcome Al-Azhar’s call to end conflicts in region, elevate language of dialogue
In a message addressed to the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Abdulsalam said, “As we welcome your responsible and wise call to end wars in the region, we would first like to express our thanks and gratitude for what you have stated, praying to Almighty Allah to crown your efforts with success and good fortune, and hoping that He grants you and the dear Egyptian people abundant goodness under the shade of Islamic dignity and Arab honor.”
He added, “You have called for an end to conflicts in the region, and since what is taking place between Yemen and Saudi Arabia is currently the most prominent, we would like to place before you indispensable facts concerning the Saudi aggression to which the Yemeni people have been subjected since 2015 until now.”
Abdulsalam explained that the Yemeni people had never threatened the neighboring Kingdom in any form, nor had they ever initiated a war against it. He pointed out that before the 2015 storm, Yemenis were experiencing political disagreements and military conflict, but regardless of the details of that period, the conflict was internal.
He continued, “To ensure that it did not escalate further, Mr. Abdulmalik Badr al-Din al-Houthi sent me to the Kingdom at the beginning of 2015 to convey a reassuring message to Saudi Arabia and explain the nature of what was taking place inside our country, Yemen, and to make clear that the Kingdom should not consider our Yemeni revolution a challenge to it, and that we were prepared to resolve any political disagreement through dialogue and understanding.”
The head of the National Negotiating Delegation added, “This was the essence of the message that Mr. Abdulmalik Badr al-Din al-Houthi entrusted me to deliver to the Kingdom during the reign of its late King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz. When he passed away, I was asked to return to my country, Yemen, in the hope that communication would resume later.”
He pointed out that “what happened afterward was that the new leadership, headed by King Salman, ascended the Saudi throne carrying a plan for war rather than peace. Thus, without any justification, the events unfolded, as the new Saudi regime surprised the Yemeni people and the region on March 26, 2015, with airstrikes that initially targeted, on that dark night while people were asleep, Sana’a International Airport and an adjacent residential neighborhood. The world awoke to what they called Operation Decisive Storm. What is striking is that it was announced from Washington as a treacherous and blatant act of aggression with absolutely no justification.”
He continued, “Perhaps Saudi Arabia thought at the time that its American warplanes and open-ended American support would enable it to achieve a swift victory. It did not realize that it was only making matters worse and adding fuel to the fire that is now spreading on a wider scale because of that ill-considered and irresponsible adventure.”
Abdulsalam noted that “according to the principles of Islam, Arab identity, and good neighborliness, the situation in Yemen did not require a foreign war. Arab brothers, particularly the largest neighboring country, Saudi Arabia, should have taken the initiative to resolve the disagreement among us Yemenis amicably and without siding with one party against another. They should also have responded positively to the reassuring message that I personally conveyed to them on behalf of Mr. Abdulmalik Badr al-Din al-Houthi.”
He said, “It is no secret to you, Your Eminence, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, as a person of knowledge and understanding who occupies a position of leadership and responsibility, that intervention to resolve a dispute between brothers should not begin with war, but with dialogue. If reconciliation is achieved, that is the desired outcome, and Allah will have spared the believers the evil of fighting. If reconciliation is not achieved, then it should be determined which of the two parties is transgressing, and that party should be restrained until it returns to the truth. Once it accepts the truth, the process of reconciliation should resume with justice, not according to the logic of dominance, so that no one feels wronged and the conflict does not erupt again. This is what the Holy Quran teaches, as Almighty Allah says: ‘And if two groups of believers fight, make peace between them. But if one of them transgresses against the other, then fight against the one that transgresses until it returns to the command of Allah. If it returns, then make peace between them with justice and act fairly. Indeed, Allah loves those who act fairly.’”
He added, “What has been mentioned above is extremely important as an essential starting point for understanding the current situation, which is an extension of what came before. As we have stated, Saudi Arabia poured fuel on the fire through its military intervention and continued along the same path, committing documented massacres and crimes and imposing a suffocating blockade. All of this resulted in the shedding of the blood of tens of thousands of innocent citizens, while those who were not killed by airstrikes died because of the blockade, which also claimed hundreds of thousands of lives.”
Abdulsalam noted that “this was how the Saudi military intervention unfolded during its early years. It neither achieved its objectives, which were illegitimate and had no basis in divine law, nor did it spare the Kingdom the consequences of its aggression, which it continues to insist upon.”
He stated that this was followed by “the 2022 truce, which the Yemeni people welcomed with optimism, hoping that Saudi Arabia would seize the opportunity to extricate itself from its predicament and fulfill its commitments. The first year of the truce ended without any progress, even on urgent humanitarian issues.”
The head of the National Negotiating Delegation said that “after the first year of the truce, a regional development took place, namely the Al-Aqsa Flood. Our Yemeni people responded to the call of the people of Gaza by supporting them to the best of their ability. Unfortunately, Saudi Arabia saw this as an opportunity to procrastinate and lie in wait for Yemen while it was occupied with supporting Gaza. Thus, the truce extended to four years, during which Saudi Arabia failed to rise to the level of responsibility and dealt irresponsibly with the consequences of its aggression under Operation Decisive Storm. It even intensified the blockade measures beyond their previous level, so that ships could not reach Hodeidah Port until after months of obstruction and delay. This placed a heavy burden on the Yemeni people, who found themselves suffering from rising commodity prices because goods arrived only after their costs had increased. Saudi Arabia also worked to obstruct the payment of Yemeni employees’ salaries, further worsening the already dire humanitarian situation.”
He continued, “It is necessary to clarify the facts. We have now reached the current stage, which is no different from its predecessors in that Saudi Arabia leans more toward war than peace, seeks domination, does not desire mutual respect, and acts arrogantly, far removed from the teachings of Islam, which forbids arrogance, particularly a neighbor’s arrogance toward another neighbor.”
Abdulsalam stressed that “Saudi Arabia initiated the current phase with airstrikes on Sana’a International Airport on July 13, without any reason. We do not know how the return of Yemeni citizens from abroad to their country aboard an Iranian aircraft carrying an official delegation could constitute a violation of Yemen’s sovereignty, or how it could threaten the security of the Kingdom!”
He continued, “But the Saudi regime once again acted arrogantly and launched airstrikes on Sana’a International Airport, which is located within the territory of the Republic of Yemen and not inside Saudi borders. This was a blatant act of aggression and a major provocation to the Yemeni people. Those airstrikes were the straw that broke the camel’s back of the truce, from which nothing had been achieved. The Yemeni people had been anticipating peace, only to find themselves facing a new escalation. What followed was a response to escalation with escalation, in accordance with the words of Almighty Allah: ‘So whoever transgresses against you, transgress against him in the same manner that he transgressed against you,’ and His words: ‘And whoever avenges himself after having been wronged, there is no blame against them.’”
Abdulsalam concluded his message by saying, “Your Eminence, the respected Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, as we place before you the facts and events concerning what has happened and is happening between the Republic of Yemen and the Kingdom, we reiterate our welcome for your gracious call. Sana’a would be honored by a visit from a committee of wise individuals selected by you, whose members embody the piety and courage required of those who seek reconciliation, speaking the truth no matter how difficult it may be. Almighty Allah says: ‘Those who convey the messages of Allah and fear Him and do not fear anyone except Allah.’ He also says: ‘And do not let the hatred of a people prevent you from being just. Be just; that is nearer to righteousness.’”
He emphasized that “as our Yemeni people look forward to justice and fairness, they seek nothing beyond justice and will accept nothing less than justice. God is the ultimate judge of our intentions, and He guides to the right path.”